


East Flubrian Hospitality

by green_hambience



Category: DR. SEUSS - Works, Green Eggs and Ham (Cartoon), Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Briefcase Buddies, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mother-Son Relationship, Pining, Sam grew up with his mother in East Flubria, Secret Relationship, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:41:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23031895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_hambience/pseuds/green_hambience
Summary: Guy had been staying with them for a little over a month now. At first he had some difficulty getting up before the crack of dawn and working long strenuous hours but with patience the knox had become a fine asset to their establishment.The fact that Sam thought he was as handsome as the day is long was purely a happy coincidence.
Relationships: Guy Am I/Sam I Am (Green Eggs and Ham)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	East Flubrian Hospitality

**Author's Note:**

> Here's all you need to know before reading this:
> 
> Sam-I-Am grew up on the farm with his mother in East Flubria and now as an adult is focused on maintaining her legacy.
> 
> Guy was on his way to the city for a job that could be his big break. While driving he got a flat in the middle of nowhere and asked the I-Am’s for assistance.
> 
> Sam then proceeded to fall for him almost instantly
> 
> With their help, Guy was able to continue on but ended up completely botching his job interview. He was set to return when Sam stopped him on his way back home.
> 
> Enjoy!

It's an early summer evening on the rural little egg farm in East Flubria. Green chickens had begun roosting in their nests, the crickets outside had started warming up their vocal cords for their nightly crescendo and The two present members of the I-Am family were quietly enjoying each other’s company on the porch attached to their farmhouse.

The head of the household lit up one of her finer cigars as her son whittled away at a piece of wood. Inspiration hadn't struck the sunny who just yet but it was something for his hands to do while he passed the time.

On the right side of the house, they faintly heard the sound of the kitchen door closing and the telltale sound of feet shuffling on gravel before Guy came into view holding his trusty toolbox.

When he spots them sitting on the porch his frown lines turn up in a polite smile and he waves before strolling along to the shed he was keeping his unfinished inventions in.

Besides rebuilding his "magnum opus" he had also started working on an invention that might help increase the production of their egg farm. Loraine was skeptical about that. A little too rusted in her own hard work and devotion to think there would be an easier way to go about things after all these years.

Sam laid down his work. He couldn't help but give him a big lopsided grin and an enthusiastic wave in return. His gaze lingering even after the clementine knox disappears inside.

As he let out a happy little sigh leaning back in his chair he notices his mother's scrutinizing stare through the curtain of smoke.

"I must say I'm a little surprised." She drawls.

He cocks his head to the side. “Surprised?"

"Taking a man in, after you've only met him once? I thought I raised you with a little more sense than that.” She ponders, taking another long drag.

He knew this was coming. His mother had been inside the house when he decided to invite the stern knox into their home long term. When she did find out she had given him one of her famous 'we'll-discuss-this-later-Samuel' scowls before she kindly offered Guy a late lunch and showed him their guest room. The inventor had been staying with them for a little over a month now. At first, he had some difficulty getting up before the crack of dawn and the intense labor but with patience, the knox had become a fine asset to their establishment.

The fact that Sam thought he was as handsome as the day is long was purely a happy coincidence.

Hard work hardly makes time for chit-chat and even less time for important conversation. So later became now but that didn't mean Sam wasn't prepared.

"Isn’t he just AMAZING?!" The energetic who loudly proclaimed.

"Guy's been helping us out so much, and I'm not just talking about the farm either. You know the other day he asked me if our house needed any work done and so far he's fixed the leaky boiler in the basement, the loose step on the stairs aaand he even took care of our flemur problem! He accentuated with his hands.

"I know some people are just born talented, but wow _what a Guy!_ " He said, giggling afterwards at his own pun.

He then put a hand near his heart, feigned hurt now lacing his voice as he spoke. "Honestly ma, I'm a little disappointed. What happened to a little East Flubrian hospitality?"

His mother's unchanged glare bore deep into his features, "Are you done, Samuel?"

"U-huh!" The who took that as his queue to promptly shut up.

Loraine tapped the excess ash off of her cigar, "you don't find it at all peculiar that a man such as himself came back here?"

"He just wanted to stop by to thank us for helping him out. Nothing wrong with being polite." He mused.

A fat lie. He had spotted Guy’s car coming back from a mile away and lost complete control over his body when he shot out the door to stop the knox.

"And you don't think it's odd that he so graciously accepted your offer to stay here while he fixes up whatever doohickey he's been working on?" Her almost blonde hand gesturing in the general direction Guy had just walked off too.

"You weren't there ma, he didn't even want to bother us. I just thought he could use some time to clear his head. This way his family doesn't have to know he didn't get the job and he can just keep working on his invention until it's perfect!" He said, pumping his fist.

"What about his family Sam?"

"What about them?"

"People fail every day. One little snafu doesn't cause a man to stay away from the first home he's ever known, only a heap of mistakes will do that." The older who accused. "A heap of mistakes that he didn't bother to fix and that's why he's here. Did you ask him about that?"

He had. He'd been extremely curious but Guy had successfully evaded most questions regarding his family. It was odd but Sam figured it was a sore subject and refused to think anything of it.

"Well golly I don't think it's our business to ask. He's our guest ma. Even more reason to help him out if he doesn't have anybody waiting for him if you ask me."

He thought this was going to be a quick slap on the wrist but he didn't expect his mother to be this adamant on changing his mind. It made him a bit miffed knowing that she had this little faith in Guy.

"Now I know this was a bit of a sudden change, but I'm pretty sure he's not a bad guy." His tone now sickly sweet. "He's been a huge help ever since he got here so I don't see why-"

Loraine inhaled the last of her cigar and forced the smoke through the gaps between her teeth as she spoke.

"Do you think I'm blind Sam?"

"I've seen you look at that orange oaf like he hung the moon. You're so smitten you forgot that you barely know anything about him! So you can quit trying to butter me up because it's not going to work." She finished, crossing her arms.

The younger who was caught. He was known for wearing his heart on his sleeve but thought that this time he'd been covering up pretty well. It seemed like his remarks hadn't made a dent in his mother's judgment, but something about her apprehension did not sit well with him.

"So you don't trust him because he could _potentially_ be dangerous? He prodded.

"Obviously." The older who pushed a synthetic strand of hair back in place. "He could be a danger to us, to the farm. Hell even to our reputation."

The younger who ponders on that for a moment.

"When did you start caring about our reputation? You’ve never cared about any of that stuff before."

Her eyes grew big as she stammered "W-well, maybe it's time we started to?" Her eyes now refusing to meet his unyielding gaze.

Sam was on a roll now, "And I know you don’t care about what hardships someone has been through either. You've always taught me that as long as a person is kind, works hard and treats others with respect that they were good people." He listed off on his fingers.

His mother seemed taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor so he held her calloused yellow hands over the table as a peace-offering.

"Mom can you just tell me what this really about?"

Loraine let out a sigh in defeat. Her son might act like an airhead most of the time but she should have known he wasn't going to let this slide. This was going to be a nasty pill to swallow but she knew that he needed to hear this.

"Fine." She relented. "It's not that I don't care for him, it's just that..." The jaded who paused, wracking her brain for the right words.

"..Your worlds don't align." She finishes quietly.

"What do you mean?" Sam was way too quick to retort.

Loraine continued."That man drove to the city from Seuss knows where to become an inventor for some big company, and once his self-esteem is nice and boosted by your flattery and his little baby bird wings are nice and healed? He is going to leave. It's his right of course, just like how it's your right to chase your own dreams." 

"I just need you to understand that before you get yourself hurt Sam."

_Oh._

So she _was_ looking out for him.

His relationship with Guy wasn't exactly set in stone. After all, It had been a very recent development. The nights they spend holding hands underneath the stars and the electric kisses they shared in secret during the day didn't have a name just yet. Until now that had been perfectly fine for Sam. All he knew was that inviting the knox into their home was one of the best decisions he ever made and that he didn't want whatever they had going on to end.

The younger who tried his best not to let the impact of his mother's words show on his face and forced himself to display some of his trademark optimism as he waved her off.

"Pffft of course, I know that." He then swiftly climbed on top of the oak table in front of them. "Guy is a world-class inventor!" He exclaimed striking a power pose. "He's got new things to invent and people to help!”

His mother didn't appear to be convinced by that so he decided to double down. Catching his mother's gaze as he hopped down again, trading in his vigor for sincerity.

"Honestly mom, you've got nothing to worry about. He can leave whenever he wants to. It's just like you said, we all have dreams to chase. I'm just trying to help him achieve his own dreams." He shrugs his shoulders at the end for good measure and If she noticed his fingers were crossed while he was talking she didn't mention it.

The older who looks more relieved at that. His nonchalance about the subject visibly reassuring her, a fond smile now forming on her face.

Sam felt his emotional tank running on fumes as he quietly added, "Besides, he can always visit right?"

Loraine had always envied her son's boundless optimism. It was something she wasn't able to hold onto over the years. As much as she wanted to protect him she reckoned that this would be something he would eventually figure out on his own. And if the sting proved to be much to bear? She'd be there for him. Always. It was a luxury that she wasn't offered in her own youth, but she'd be damned if she didn't provide it to her own son.

"Of course." She said, patting his now clutched fist.

A blast accompanied by a pained yelp could be heard from the shed the inventor had walked into moments before.

Sam shot up and ran off in the direction of the noise, reassuring his mother over his shoulder that the city slicker was probably fine.

The now-familiar smell of failure hung in the air as the sunny who threw open the barn door.

"Guy?!" He hollered, "Are you okay buddy?"

His eyes first find the knoxes stovepipe that now lay abandoned on the dusty floor. They then shifted to its tall disgruntled owner sitting down on a crate trying to shake the pain out of his paw.

"No, I am not! This _yipping_ thing exploded on me **again**. It wasn't even plugged in this time!" He grieves, gesturing wildly to the smoldering remains of his invention on the workbench.

Sam pays it little mind as he rushes over to assess the damage. It looked like quite the nasty burn, the tangerine fur on his thumb even appeared to be slightly singed. He winces but still asks, "Does it hurt?"

The inventor lets out a deep sigh, his eyes cast downward. "You get used to it."

The yokel frowns at that answer but quickly recovers, "Well you can't have that, these are your money makers! You gotta take good care of 'em. We might still have an old pair of gloves that could fit you back at the house." He suggests walking backward trying to pull Guy with him.

But the inventor doesn't seem to want to move. "These hands can't even screw in a light bulb right without blowing it up." He responds solemnly. "I appreciate the offer but I should probably just quit while I'm ahead.”

Sam didn't like seeing his... partner this downtrodden, but he had a quick fix in mind that might cheer him up. Still holding the knoxes singed left hand he also grabbed his right and started pressing sweet kisses onto each one his fuzzy knuckles.

"Sam what are you doing? Stop it!" He sputters, not pulling away in the slightest.

"Why? So you can keep thinking that these babies are not the softest, _bestest_ , most capable hands in the world? Not a chance my good man! The short who says in between pecks.

By the time the who starts kissing further and further up his arm the inventor is redder than any tomato he's ever seen. Guy looks about ready to tap out but he was nowhere near done showering him with affection. Laying tender kisses all over his face and neck.

When he does yield the disheveled knox looks back at him with a tranquil expression, dark clouds now chased away by sweet sunny spells.

Guy lightly threads his right hand through his soft white whiskers. "You're good to me, you know that?"

Sam can't help but to snuzzle up to it. "You only deserve very the best, big fella." Planting one final smooch on his injured paw.

He also wanted to tell Guy that his hands were perfect for holding him. That he liked getting lost in the nooks of his warm marmalade arms and his soft camel-colored neck fur. That whenever the knox embraced him he felt like everything was right in the world and nothing could harm him.

But he figured he'd save those thoughts for another rainy day.

They then decided that it was high time for Guy to take care of his injury. The duo was still holding hands as they exited the shed together, the short who signing to his mother that the inventor was a-okay. If she was already this suspicious it wouldn't take long for her to reach her own conclusions regarding their relationship. And while sneaking around had been exciting for him, he felt like Guy deserved better than that.

They were walking back to the house in comfortable silence when he offhandedly mentions, "You know I overheard you talking your mother before you came in."

Sam almost chokes his tongue trying to respond. "R-really?" He wobbles, coughing up a storm. "What did you hear?"

The knox just raises one of his fluffy eyebrows at him. "I heard you yell that I was a world-class inventor? I'm guessing she hasn't quite warmed up to me yet, but I appreciate you sticking up for me."

The short who slumped his shoulders in relief. "Of course buddy, how could I not? And you know ma loves having you here, she's just a little moody today." Not one of his best fibs but hopefully one his pal would accept.

But Guy stops them in their tracks, "I'm serious, not a lot of people would hedge their bets on someone like me."

He looks as if he wants to say more, to put himself down again or to convince the yokel that he was wrong for trusting him so. But instead, the lines in his face raise in a reserved smile as he says.

"Really, thank you Sam-I-Am."

The emotional little who was about to start bawling into his hat. This man was going to be the death of him.

In the kitchen, Guy held his injured hand under cool tap water while the short who fetched the first-aid kit. Sam would then adorn the spot with a green eggs and ham themed band-aid, even though he knew it wouldn't make much of a difference.

Later that night, before he went to bed, he would go find the gloves in the attic and bring them down so that next time the inventor practiced his craft he wouldn't be so prone to hurting himself.

Afterwards, instead of walking back to his own sleeping quarters he lingered in front of the guestroom. His hand floating inches away from the door. Now that he was painfully aware that their relationship might be fleeting he felt torn between trying to enjoy the time they still had left and hiding away so that when the knox did decide to leave he might be able to handle it.

But the heart wants what it wants and Sam-I-Am didn't like to think of himself as a coward.

So as he firmly knocked on the door the who ultimately decided that he'd rather pour gasoline on these silly little embers then let them smolder and fade to ash.

And who could really blame him for that?

**Author's Note:**

> I finished an old draft for an idea I had for my Country Boy AU I posted a while back on tumblr :-)
> 
> I started this way before I developed Sam’s mom as a character. While in the canon universe I think Loraine would be a little apprehensive when meeting Guy, I think she would never beat around the bush this much to get her point across. 
> 
> I hope you liked it and again feedback is always appreciated!


End file.
